Love Stings
by nyislandersgirl
Summary: Ash thinks he's gotten Misty the perfect birthday gift. After it backfires on him, however, the gift threatens not only Misty's livelihood, but the couple's relationship as well. Pokeshipping three shot.
1. Birthday Surprise

**Hello, everyone! So, as most of you know, I usually write Pokeshipping stories about Ash and Misty as a married couple with children. Future fics are my favorite. This one, however, is NOT a future fic! Hopefully all of you current fans will still enjoy it, though :3**

**OBLIGATORY DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon, or any of their characters. I'm just a college student with no job. What's up.**

**AGES:**

**Ash: 18**

**Misty: 18**

* * *

**Chapter One: Birthday Surprise**

Misty yawned as she stretched out her long, slender arms and legs. Not bothering to sit up yet, Misty glanced out her window, where the outside world was being illuminated by the early July sunlight. The past few days in Cerulean City had been blazingly hot. Misty loved summer weather, but even these temperatures had been a little too hot for her. Most of her week had been spent retreating to the indoors.

Rolling closer to the wall, Misty laid a hand on the window's glass, which was already heating up.

"Hot again," Misty murmured to herself. She'd been lonely lately; her sisters were rarely home anymore. Daisy and Tracey had their own home now, as did Violet and her husband. The only one who was still around on occasion was Lily, but now she was newly married and looking for a new house. Misty hoped they would at least visit her on a day like today.

Whining softly, Misty rolled away from the window and found herself face to face with the plush Pikachu that stood guard on her bed all day. Smiling, Misty grabbed the toy and hugged it close to her chest, burying her face into the top of its head. The stuffed Pokémon was beginning to lose its special scent. Misty knew that she was going to have to fix that somehow.

As Misty lazed around, enjoying the warmth of her bed, the ringing of the doorbell gave her a nasty little shock. Jumping up with a slight shriek, Misty looked down miserably at the plush Pikachu, giving it one last hug before placing it down on the bed and sliding out of the covers.

Trudging down the stairs, Misty continued to yawn and rub her eyes. She just couldn't shake the sleep from her system. Meanwhile, the bell was ringing incessantly, greatly annoying Misty at this point.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She grumbled to herself. Misty was perturbed enough now that she had decided to take out her wrath on whoever was at the door. It certainly couldn't have been important enough to interrupt her lounging session!

Misty finally reached the door and pulled at the handle, making sure to plaster an unused expression on her face with a hand planted firmly on her hip. Surely _that _would sell the _"I'm unhappy and I'm going to let you know it"_ image she was going for. When she saw who was standing at the door, however, she didn't feel so angry anymore.

"A…Ash?"

Misty's dark green eyes grew wide at the sight of her tall, handsome boyfriend, his chocolate brown eyes sparkling in the sunlight while being complimented by a giant smile and messy raven locks. Pikachu, as always, was perched on his broad shoulder. Upon seeing Misty, though, Pikachu knew what to expect and jumped off of his roost for his own safety.

"There's my girl," Ash sighed airily. He held his arms out and lifted her off the ground, rocking the red head back and forth for a few seconds before lowering her and pressing a kiss against the gym leader's ivory forehead. "I missed you _so _much."

"Me too," Misty murmured against his chest. As she breathed in his scent, something came to mind, causing the water type trainer to gasp softly and pull her head away from Ash.

"Everything okay?" Ash asked curiously.

"Just fine," Misty nodded. "Wait here for a second." She tore away from Ash and up the stairs, confusing the young man even further. Misty, however, was on a mission. Nothing was going to stop her, not even her often absent and extraordinarily attractive boyfriend.

Hustling into her room, Misty locked her eyes on the toppled over stuffed Pikachu and grinned victoriously. She moved closer to the bed and snatched the toy before racing back down the stairs and throwing it at the still perplexed Ash.

"Rub that against you," Misty ordered.

"Uh…why?" Ash flipped the stuffed Pokémon back and forth in his hands.

"Because it doesn't smell like you anymore," Misty pouted. "Now, do what I said." Ash chuckled and rolled his eyes, but obliged to his girlfriend's demands. He never was one to say no to her anyway. "You and Pikachu can come inside, you know."

Ash shot Misty a beautiful, heart stopping grin and entered the house, his electric mouse following closely behind.

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu squealed, darting up to Misty and jumping into her arms.

"Hi there Pikachu!" Misty giggled, hugging the little yellow Pokémon close. "I think I've missed you even more than Ash!"

"Hey," Ash frowned, lowering the toy that was made in Pikachu's likeness.

"I'm just kidding," Misty smirked at Ash, "I missed you both equally."

"Gee, great," Ash snorted. Misty's light giggles made his smile return in full force, however. He could never be upset around her either. "Mind if I sit?" Ash motioned towards the couch. "I'm a little tired."

"Not at all," Misty stroked behind Pikachu's ears as he _cha'd _happily, "I'd like to sit on the couch with you, actually." She gave Ash a knowing glance, which he heartily returned.

"Pika pika," Pikachu sighed, rolling his beady little eyes.

"Pikachu, do you want to go play with Marill?" Misty asked as she pressed her nose against Pikachu's. The electric mouse beamed and quickly nodded his head. Marill was one of his best friends; he always loved to see her. "Great! I think she's in the kitchen."

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked, flying out of Misty's slender arms and onto the ground.

"You just wanted us to be alone," Ash arched an eyebrow as Misty approached him, a sneaky smile set squarely on her face.

"Maybe," Misty giggled again as she settled down next to Ash, "but is that so wrong?"

"No," Ash whispered, using one of his hands to lift Misty's head up. He allowed his fingers to linger underneath her chin before leaning forward to press a sweet kiss against her lips. Misty hummed contentedly and kissed back, soon deepening the kiss.

"What brings you here?" Misty breathed as Ash moved his lips to her ear, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin.

"You don't know?" Ash whispered into the ear, stroking the other one with his free hand. Misty let out a shuttered breath and shook her head. Perhaps she would've been able to think better if Ash wasn't assaulting her with his sugary, romantic actions. "Come on, you have to know."

"I don't," Misty was able to reply as she pulled Ash's face away from her. She stared into those dark brown eyes and instantly lost all of her composure just as quickly as she'd regained it. Knowing she was incapacitated, Ash went for her lips again, this time slipping his tongue into her mouth.

The kiss lasted until the need for air arose, at which point the couple broke apart in order to gasp heavily to try and refill their lungs. Ash recovered more quickly than Misty and pulled her head down onto his shoulder, gently resting his chin on her temple.

"Happy birthday," Ash sighed, bringing the stuffed Pikachu back onto his lap as he hugged it close.

"Oh…that's why you came," Misty smiled as she reached the realization. "That makes sense then."

"Do you want your present?" Ash asked, causing Misty to pull herself off of him and press her hands into the couch.

"Not yet," Misty replied quietly, "I just want to look at you for a minute."

"Okay," Ash shrugged, keeping a firm grip on the toy he had given to Misty not so long ago. It was right before he'd left the last time, actually.

Misty, meanwhile, was still busy studying her boyfriend. She hadn't seen him for nearly five months, and whenever that happened, she had to make sure nothing about him had changed. Personality wise, it never did. Physically, however, he seemed like a different person every time.

Always taller, always more handsome. Somehow, his hair always seemed messier as well. On this particular day, his skin looked even more tan and glowing than usual.

"Why are you so tan?" Misty tilted her head curiously.

"It's summer," Ash answered with a little grin, "and I spend a lot of time outdoors. Why aren't _you _tan?"

"I don't tan, I burn," Misty narrowed her eyes as she scrutinized her milky white skin. It was a sad but true fact.

"It's okay," Ash assured, "I like you light like that. It makes you look like one of those dolls."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Misty huffed as she tried to cover her glowing red cheeks.

"You're blushing," Ash commented sneakily.

"Shut up," Misty grumbled as she pulled her knees up to her chest. Looking up at his head, Misty continued, "Do you ever brush your hair?"

"Like once a week," Ash shrugged.

"Good, at least _that _hasn't changed," Misty rolled her eyes playfully. Ash scoffed and adjusted the cap on his head.

"Who needs a brush when you can wear a hat?"

"You can't wear that dumb thing forever," Misty teased as she pulled it over his twinkling eyes.

"Just watch me," Ash snickered as he pulled it back up. Looking Misty up and down, he inquired, "Now, can I ask _you_ a question?"

"Sure, why not," Misty sighed, leaning against the back of the couch.

"What's up with the outfit?"

Misty's face went blank as she looked down at her body. She was wearing nothing but a sea green camisole with blue and green plaid shorts that were a length barely appropriate for even the indoors.

"These are my pajamas," Misty grumbled, "you interrupted my sleep." Okay, so she hadn't been sleeping. She was just being lazy. But she wanted Ash to feel guilty, damnit. It was _her _birthday after all.

"I'm sorry," Ash frowned, his voice sounding absolutely genuine. "Do you want to go back to sleep? I can leave for a little…"

"No!" Misty interrupted much too quickly. Ash simply blinked at her, and Misty threw him a lovely, reassuring smile. "I've gotten enough rest. I'm awake now. Promise."

"Well in that case," Ash's lips bent back into a smile, "do you want your present _now?_"

"You didn't have to get me a present," Misty grinned sheepishly at the overly giddy Ash.

"Of course I did," Ash scoffed. "You're my girlfriend! Besides, you're turning 18 today. That's a pretty big deal."

"Well, in that case…" Misty's eyes shifted from the wall back to Ash, her face glowing with joy. "I'd love to see what you got me!"

"Ah, _there's _the Misty I know!" Ash chuckled. He reached to his belt and unclipped something, holding it tightly in the palm of his hand. "Sorry it's not wrapped or anything."

"I don't mind," Misty assured, "really."

"I hope you like it," Ash murmured worriedly. Smiling at her once again, he instructed her to, "Hold out your hand."

Misty nodded and did as she was told. In the palm of her hand, Ash dropped a poke ball, shrunk down to its smallest size.

"F…for me?" Misty whispered.

"Of course it's for you!" Ash laughed, before quickly growing somber. "Oh wait…maybe we should do this in the gym."

"Why?" Misty furrowed her brow.

"Uh…just because it's better," Ash shrugged as he stood up, "come on now."

"Sure, can I just change into something a little more appropriate first?" Misty got to her feet and tugged at her very short shorts.

"I don't know, I kind of like those on you," Ash murmured, his voice lowering to become husky and seductive.

"Yeah, definitely changing," Misty grinned as she handed the poke ball back to a disappointed Ash. "Wait for me."

Ash couldn't help but to smile as Misty started to walk away. Her perfectly shaped body, the fiery red hair that had grown well below her shoulders. She looked like a supermodel, and it stunned Ash that Misty couldn't see it.

"Wait!"

Ash's head snapped up as Misty hurried back over to him. Reclaiming the stuffed Pikachu off the couch, Misty brought it to her face and sniffed the soft toy. Beaming, she nodded and affirmed, "Yes. It's perfect again!"

And with that, she turned on a heel and headed for the stairs, leaving behind a highly amused Ash.

* * *

**And that's the first chapter of Love Stings! As it says in the description, this will be a three shot :)**

**So, any guesses as to what Ash's birthday present for Misty is? Leave your guess in a review! Please? Pretty please? :)**

**The more reviews I get, the quicker I'll get the second chapter up ;) That is, if you all enjoyed it. Please tell me that you did! I like trying out different kinds of stories that I might not usually write, so I'd love to hear some opinions on my non future fic ^^**


	2. A Gift Gone Wrong

**Shout out to all of those who managed to guess the Pokemon by looking at the cover photo ;) I wanted to see if you were all paying attention!**

**Well, not much else to say here. Enjoy chapter 2!**

* * *

**Chapter Two: A Gift Gone Wrong**

After Misty had changed into what she found to be a more appropriate outfit consisting of a sky blue flutter sleeved top and white cropped jeans, she and Ash headed down the street towards the gym, with Pikachu and Marill following eagerly at their feet.

"I really hope you like my present," Ash broke the natural silence, his dark eyes settling on Misty's tall figure.

"Ash, I'm sure I'll love it," Misty sighed, "just like I told you fifteen seconds ago. And two minutes ago. And five…"

"I got it," Ash waved his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Misty chuckled, a warm smile growing on her face. "You can relax, Ash."

When they finally reached the gym, Misty unlocked the door with her key and led the group to the battlefield.

"It looks good in here," Ash smiled as he observed his surroundings. Everything seemed newer since the last time he'd seen it.

"Thanks," Misty beamed, clearly proud of the compliment. "I've spent the past few months fixing things up and replacing them. I've had nothing better to do, after all."

"Misty, I'm so sorry…" Ash began.

"Oh, it's not your fault Ash," Misty smiled at him. "Since all of my sisters are married now, I'm usually alone here. I understand that you have a job to do; your training. My job is to run the gym. We all have responsibilities."

"Yeah…" Ash trailed off before reaching for the poke ball again. "Here, we can't forget about your present, now can we?"

"No, I guess not!" Misty giggled playfully. She took the poke ball and enlarged it to its full size, still holding it tightly in her hand.

"Make sure you open it towards the pool," Ash instructed.

Misty nodded and pressed the poke ball's center button. The sphere flipped open and emitted a stream of blue light, which materialized in the water into nothing other than a Tentacool.

"WHAT?" Misty screamed, unable to control herself. Ash started laughing hysterically, and Misty, who was practically hyperventilating, covered her mouth in shock.

"Well?" Ash asked slowly, "do you like your present?"

"Like it? _Like_ it?" Misty stammered, causing Ash's face and heart to fall. Suddenly, the look of surprise fled Misty's face, being replaced by one of pure joy and amazement. "I _LOVE_ it! Oh Ash, you've always known how much I loved them!"

"Well, I knew you liked Tenta_cruel," _Ash explained, "but I thought maybe you'd like to raise it up to one yourself."

"Yes, yes I would!" Misty shrieked, racing towards Ash to give him a bone crushing hug. "Oh Ash, I love you so much! This is the _best_ present _anyone_ has ever given me! I love you, _I love you!"_

"Heh…" Ash choked, freeing an arm to hug Misty back, "I…love you…too."

"Oh, this is just so amazing," Misty breathed, turning back towards the pool. The jellyfish Pokémon was floating in the water, its beady eyes set steadily on Misty. "You're a pretty thing, aren't you?" Misty cooed, kneeling down to look the dual type in the eyes. Behind her, Ash shifted uncomfortably. He certainly didn't find Tentacool to be _pretty. _Misty sure had weird tastes in Pokémon beauty.

"Hey Misty," Ash suggested, causing the gym leader to look over her shoulder, "what if we had a practice battle? You could use Tentacool and start bonding."

"That's a great idea!" Misty grinned, jumping back to her feet. "What do you think Tentacool?"

The half water, half poison type Pokémon simply stared back at Misty, absolutely no expression being reflected in its eyes.

"Let's see…which Pokémon should I use?" Ash mused quietly to himself.

"Do you have Oshawott with you?" Misty asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, could you use him?" Misty clasped her hands together. "He's _such_ a cutie! I'd love to battle him!"

"Well, it _is_ your birthday," Ash grinned, "so if it's Oshawott you want, it's Oshawott you'll get!" As he finished his sentence, the sound of a poke ball opening accompanied by a blue flash from Ash's belt led to the appearance of Oshawott, who happily waved his little paws at Misty.

"Osha! Oshawott!" The otter Pokémon cheered excitedly.

"Hey there Oshawott!" Misty giggled. The Unova starter had taken quite a shine to the Cerulean City gym leader, and Misty didn't mind in the least. She thought Oshawott was one of the cutest water types she'd ever seen.

"Oshawott, you've gotta' stop coming out of your poke ball on your own," Ash scolded gently.

"Osha, osha!" Oshawott cried, still pointing at Misty.

"It's alright, Ash, he's just excited to see me is all!"

"I guess…" Ash nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Come on, let's get started!" Misty squealed, racing over to her platform.

"Boy, she sure is excited, isn't she?" Ash looked down at Oshawott, who nodded feverously in response. "Now Misty," Ash called out to his bubbly girlfriend, "the moves Tentacool knows are poison sting, supersonic, bubble beam, and wrap."

"Wow, those are some great moves!" Misty complimented Tentacool. Still, the dual type Pokémon showed no emotion.

"So, should we begin?" Ash asked as he climbed onto his own platform, Oshawott jumping up happily in front of him.

"Bring it on," Misty smirked, "Tentacool and I will beat you into the dust, Ketchum!"

"I'd like to see you try, birthday girl," Ash winked teasingly. "And since it _is _your birthday, I'll let you have the first move!"

"How cute," Misty purred before narrowing her emerald hued eyes. "Tentacool, use poison sting!"

Wordlessly, Tentacool fired off several brightly glowing spikes, Oshawott standing directly in their path.

"Osha! Oshawott!" Oshawott cried, running around in circles.

"Oshawott, come on, cool it!" Ash ordered. "Use your scallchop to shield yourself from the poison sting!"

"Wott!" Oshawott removed the seashell from his belly and held it in front of himself. The poisonous spears hit the makeshift shield, quickly flying off in all different directions.

"Yeah, great job Oshawott!" Ash pumped his fist. "Now, use hydro pump!"

"Osha!" Oshawott backed up, preparing to fire off the water type move. "Osha…wott!" Sending out the heavy stream of water, Tentacool was hit directly, finally letting out a cry of pain.

"Ah, Tentacool!" Misty yelled. But it was no use. The dual type Pokémon floated back up to the surface, rendered unconscious by the attack.

"Boy, that's all it took?" Ash frowned. Oshawott, however, could not share in his trainer's disappointment. The little otter Pokémon was instead dancing around on his platform, clearly pleased with his one hit knockout.

"Poor Tentacool," Misty sighed, "he just needs some special training, that's all."

"Sounds good to me," Ash nodded. "Need any help?"

"No, I think I'd like to do this on my own," Misty pulled off her shirt, revealing a purple bikini top. "It'll be good for me and Tentacool to spend some time alone."

"You're right," Ash smiled, "good plan, Mist."

"Thanks," Misty blushed. "You must be starving right now. You can go into the gym's kitchen if you want and grab something to eat."

"That sounds _really _good," Ash chuckled, pressing a hand against his rumbling tummy.

"Just don't eat _all _of it," Misty narrowed her eyes playfully.

"I won't, I won't," Ash sighed with a chuckle, lifting his cap to brush back some midnight black strands of hair. "Come on you guys," he looked between Oshawott and Pikachu, "let's have some breakfast!"

Oshawott and Pikachu cheered joyfully and followed after their trainer, Misty smiling after the little group. Once they were all gone, she slipped out of her jeans so she was down to just her bikini.

"Good thing I planned ahead," Misty murmured fondly to herself. She jumped off the platform to retrieve some potion that would help heal her injured Pokémon. Smiling down at Tentacool as she returned to the edge of the pool, Misty jumped in and swam next to the jellyfish Pokémon, who looked anything but amused.

"It's okay," Misty soothed Tentacool calmly, "I'm gonna' help you." She sprayed some of the potion on a scratch that was etched into Tentacool's head. Hissing, the dual type Pokémon pulled away from Misty, setting a deathly glare on the pretty gym leader. "Hmm?" Misty blinked confusedly. "Come on, Tentacool. I know it hurts a little, but it's going to make you feel a lot better, I promise." Misty began to swim closer to Tentacool, but the angered Pokémon would have none of it.

Sending out one of its tentacles, the jellyfish Pokémon wrapped it around Misty's upper arm and delivered a nasty shock to the water type trainer.

"OW!" Misty screamed, trying to thrash away. Tentacool let go after only a few seconds, but to Misty it felt like an eternity. She whimpered and held tightly onto the affected spot as tears spilled out of her eyes, trying to tread water all the while.

"Misty?!"

Misty let out a sharp breath and looked upwards. Through the screen of blurry tears, Misty could make out the shape of Ash standing by the edge of the pool. His terribly worried features weren't visible to the pained girl, however.

"Ash…" Misty whined, her legs finally coming to a standstill. She began to slip under the water, earning a loud gasp from Ash. He jumped into the pool, clothes and all, and grabbed onto Misty, pulling her back up above the surface.

"What happened?" Ash asked, holding Misty tightly in his arms.

"Tentacool stung me!" Misty hissed, still gripping her upper arm with as much force as she could collect. Even that wasn't helping subdue the pain, however.

"What the…" Ash turned to glare at the still angered Pokémon, but when Misty let out another cry, he knew that now was not the time to be dealing with the clearly unhappy thing. "Okay, come on. I'll help you."

Ash swam back to the side of the pool and lifted Misty up onto the edge. She doubled over and moaned, not bothering to let go of her upper arm. Ash used his arms to pull himself up next to Misty, gingerly touching the hand that was clamped around the sting.

"You have to let me see it Misty," Ash murmured, "just move your hand. It's okay."

Misty sniffed but finally took her hand off of the injured section of flesh. Ash took one look before recoiling and letting out a little noise of disgust.

"Is it bad?" Misty kept her eyes locked on Ash, not wanting to even take a glance at the sting.

Once the initial shock wore off, Ash was able to breathe out deeply and realize the mark wasn't as bad as he first thought. "Nah, nothing too bad. It's just a little red is all."

Misty peeked down at her arm and indeed saw a bright red ring wrapping around her slender upper arm. It still stung rather badly, but Misty decided it would be best for everybody if she just shook it off.

"Okay, I'm good," Misty lied through her teeth, "the pain is starting to go away."

"I think I should at least put some lotion on it," Ash tried, "Cilan actually just sent me some really good stuff for stings! It should take the pain away completely."

"I'll try it," Misty whimpered, resting her head against Ash's chest. "Thank you."

Ash smiled and pressed a kiss into Misty's soft red hair. "No problem."

**XXX**

Misty didn't like people seeing her moments of weakness.

Ash being the person to witness it only made the situation ten times worse. It was mortifying to a girl who was so proud. Misty barely even cried in front of her own sisters, even when she was just a little girl.

And to think, she had just been sobbing in Ash's arms less than ten minutes ago like a baby.

"Stupid," Misty hissed, staring down at her arm. Ash had applied the lotion sent to him by Cilan and wrapped the wound in a medicated bandage. The sting was already beginning to feel better, but Misty's hurt pride would be much harder to fix.

Ash walked back into the longue, where he had sat Misty down in order to fix her up. In his hands he held a tray with two glasses of lemonade on it. Misty was quite surprised to see this; enough that she forgot about her damaged poise for all of five seconds.

"Did you make that?" Misty asked warily.

"No, it was already in your fridge," Ash grinned at the gym leader. "Arceus forbid you ever have to ingest something made by _me._"

"Well, I didn't mean it like _that,_" Misty rolled her eyes.

"I know, I was just teasing you," Ash chuckled. He placed the tray down on the small table that was situated before the couch Misty was sitting on. Taking a seat next to her, Ash took one glass and handed it off to Misty, who was reaching for it with her injured arm. "Uh uh, use the other one."

Misty raised an eyebrow before realizing that Ash didn't want her moving the arm that had been stung. If anything, this only made the girl feel worse about herself.

"Would you stop freaking out, it's just a little sting!" Misty complained, grabbing the glass with her uninjured arm.

"I'm just worried about you," Ash frowned.

"Well, don't be," Misty grumbled, taking a sip of her lemonade.

Ash just watched his girlfriend in shock. Ever since they had started dating, she'd opened up considerably and had let her more gentle tendencies take over. But now, all within just a few hours, she'd reverted back to her old self: closed off and angry.

And to think, it was all because of the present he'd gotten her for her birthday.

* * *

**Oooh, and so we've reached the climax of this little three shot collection. What's gonna happen next?**

**I just wanted to thank you all for the reviews I got in the first chapter. I got a bunch and they were all very positive and encouraging! So, thanks for pushing me on, guys :P I love to write stories for you all, so I'm really glad to know you're enjoying them!**


	3. On the Mend

**Last chapter of the three shot! We find out what's really been bothering Misty since the stinging incident. So, what will happen in the story's conclusion? Read on and find out...**

* * *

**Chapter Three: On the Mend**

Ash was staying over for the night, and Misty wasn't as happy about it as she thought she'd be.

It had been his idea to sleep in the same bed. No funny business, mind you. Ash knew of Misty's wishes to wait until marriage and he respected them. For that, Misty was grateful. Ash wasn't like other guys, who might have viewed that as a deal breaker. Of course, Ash wasn't like most other guys anyway.

Misty only had a twin sized bed, so the two of them sharing it wasn't exactly ideal. Especially since Ash was a pretty big boy. He definitely wasn't the scrawny little thing he had been as a kid. Ash was very tall now; his legs, in fact, were practically hanging over the end of Misty's bed. He was also solid now; well-toned and showing the beginning signs of muscle. Nothing too extreme, though, which Misty was grateful for. He did have a wonderful set of abs, however.

She couldn't fall asleep that night, and Misty wasn't sure if it was because of the faint pain that resonated in her arm from Tentacool's sting, the mid July heat, or the fact that Ash had his left arm and leg draped over her body, holding her close and snoring softly in her ear.

Maybe it was just a combination of all three.

Either way, Misty felt that she could simply lie in bed no longer. She had to get up, maybe even go somewhere. It took all of her strength just to wriggle out from beneath Ash's limbs, which only flared up the pain in her injured arm. Misty hissed quietly and grabbed at the afflicted area, which was still wrapped in a bandage. Fortunately for her, Ash was a heavy sleeper and wasn't awoken by her jostling. Just another thing Misty was thankful for.

She pulled herself out of bed and stared at her dresser, where the digital clock was faintly lighting up part of her room. Getting closer so her eyes could adjust, Misty leaned forward and scanned the time on the face of the white clock.

12:30 AM.

Sighing, Misty slipped on a pair of light blue flip flops and opened up her bedroom door, padding down the stairs until she reached the living room. It was drenched by moonlight, the furniture looking rather eerie in the nighttime darkness. Misty was usually never up this late. She made her way over to the large window, kneeling on the bench seat that was placed right below it. Resting her fingers on the window sill, Misty leaned forward until her forehead hit the cool glass. Her emerald eyes stared up into the midnight sky, tracing the silver stars and the roundness of the full moon.

She was thinking very deeply about something…and Misty didn't even know if it was right. It might hurt Ash. But she couldn't get over the events of yesterday. Her _birthday. _And she had managed to screw the whole thing up. Ash had been so sweet, to get her that gift, but everything had gone wrong. And Misty couldn't help but to feel guilty about it. She was the one who had ignored the signs, who had let it happen, and who was now letting the string of events affect her.

It might have been wrong, but Misty knew what she had to do.

Grimacing, Misty planted her feet back on the floor and retrieved her key ring from the hooks by the door. With one last look up the stairs, Misty opened the front door and slipped out into the dark, cool night, closing the white wooden slab behind her.

Unfortunately for the water type specialist, she hadn't done that very carefully. The sound of the door slamming shut was enough to wake Ash up, and with a fairly powerful jolt. He noticed that when he had Misty around, he became more alert when it came to ominous noises, especially ones in the night. Ash couldn't help it that he was so protective of his girlfriend. She meant absolutely everything to him. Looking down, however, the trainer realized that his beloved was missing, and that's when Ash's heart _really _started to pound.

"Misty!" Ash cried. His frantic yell was enough to wake up Pikachu, who had been sleeping on a folded up blanket in the corner of Misty's room since there wasn't enough room for him in the crowded bed.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu grumbled sleepily.

"Pikachu, Misty is gone!" Ash gasped, jumping out of bed and getting tangled in the lilac sheets in the process. "I just heard the door slam, and I woke up and she was gone!"

"Ka?!" Pikachu was wide awake now.

"I'm scared," Ash admitted, looking frantically around the dark room once he'd managed to free his legs from the soft fabric of Misty's bed sheets. "We have to go. We have to find out what's going on. Someone might have kidnapped her!"

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu yelled, leaping off of his makeshift bed and out of the room. Ash slipped on his sneakers and followed after his trusty partner, not even bothering to tie the laces on his shoes. He knew his mother would have scolded him, but she wasn't here at the moment, and the love of his life could have been in serious danger. So tied shoelaces be damned.

Clumsily, Ash bounded down the stairs and made his way straight to the front door, which he pulled open with much more force than was necessary. Pikachu ran out first, although Ash was close behind. He slammed the door shut, even more forcefully than Misty had, and ran out into the dusky night of Cerulean City.

Ash whipped his head around, not sure as to where Misty could have gone. It was late at night, and dark, so it's not like he could see very easily.

"Pikachu, can you track Misty by her scent?" Ash asked, his voice trembling.

"Pika," Pikachu confirmed he could. Raising his nose, Pikachu started to sniff the air, hoping to catch a whiff of the girl. He had Misty's scent memorized just as well as Ash's, so he could find her trail pretty easily. Soon enough, he caught onto it, and started to run in the direction where it was moving towards. Ash followed after, not wanting to miss a single beat. Within seconds, he knew exactly where Pikachu was bringing him; the Cerulean Gym. As soon as Pikachu reached the building, however, he ran right past it, much to Ash's surprise.

"Pikachu, wait!" Ash cried, causing the electric mouse to skid to a halt. "Isn't Misty in the gym?"

Pikachu shook his head, his ears swaying along. Ash frowned, and began to grow truly concerned now. He knew that sometimes, when she was upset, Misty would retreat to the gym, because it was a place where she felt safe. But if that's not where Misty was…then things might be really bad.

"Keep going, Pikachu," Ash breathed. The electric mouse nodded and continued to run in the same direction, with Ash trailing behind quickly and diligently.

After a few more minutes, Pikachu reached the shoreline on the border of the city. Both him and Ash found Misty standing right in front of the water, staring down at her hands which she was holding up in front of her chest. Suddenly, she swung her am forward, throwing a red and white sphere into the air.

A poke ball.

"Misty, what are you doing?!" Ash cried.

The gym leader whipped around, and as soon as she did, the ball popped open and emitted a red light, which turned into Tentacool once it hit the water. Before Ash could even move, the jellyfish Pokémon swam away, deep out into the ocean which looked almost black this late at night.

"Misty…did you just release my birthday present to you?" Ash sounded numb.

"I'm sorry," Misty apologized hoarsely, shaking her head. "I just…I couldn't keep it. I couldn't."

"But why?" Ash moved closer to Misty, and now she could see the sense of hurt reflected on his handsome face. "Is it just because he stung you? Because…I know that was bad, but you're a great trainer, Mist. You're a great _gym leader. _You could've trained Tentacool, and you guys could've been really good friends! Great partners, even!"

"It's not the stupid sting that I care about!" Misty finally snapped, tears falling freely down her face. Ash was taken aback by her outburst, so Misty went on to hastily explain, "It's what happened _after _the sting. I cried in front of you. I never cry in front of _anyone! _I broke down, and I made myself vulnerable, and…that's just shameful to me. Crying in front of you is the worst thing I could have done! I made myself look like a total idiot! Don't you know how that makes me feel?!"

"Misty, it's okay to cry," Ash comforted the girl. "And it's even more okay to cry in front of me."

"No it isn't!" Misty shook her head furiously, the tears coming even faster now. "It's embarrassing! I don't want you to see me like that! Like this!" She began to become flustered again, once she became more aware that she was crying in front of him once again. "That isn't me. It isn't. It's not."

Ash moved even closer and wrapped Misty up in a hug. The trainer felt bad…he knew Misty's childhood hadn't been an easy one. She still wasn't comfortable enough to give him all the details, but Ash knew that it was traumatizing enough that it had left a lingering effect on her. And that's where the emotional stigma stemmed from. He pressed her head against his chest and stroked her soft ginger hair, feeling her body stiffen as she tried to contain the fervent sobs that were fighting to escape from her throat.

"Misty, just cry," Ash whispered into her hair. "Please. It's okay."

"No, it isn't," Misty squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as possible. She wanted to push Ash away, to run as far away from him as she possibly could. But her body wouldn't follow her mind's orders. She just couldn't do it.

"I swear to you that it's okay," Ash squeezed her more tightly. "I love you no matter what. Just because you cried in front of me doesn't mean I think any less of you. In fact…it makes me love you even more. Because it tells me that you trust me. You never opened up to anyone before we started dating, Misty. You were always the girl who never wanted to tell anyone how you were really feeling. Well, unless you were mad, of course. But then, all of a sudden, you started to open up to me. You were honest and fun and I really understood you. I'd never understood anyone as well as I did you. And ever since yesterday…when you cried after you got stung…you started to close up again. And that's not what I want. That's not what makes our relationship _ours. _So, go ahead, cry. And when you're done, I'll still be here, and we can go back to the way we were before today. Before all of this happened. And you'll know that I'll still be here, loving you, and not judging you for anything."

It was the sweetest thing Misty had ever heard. Ash was right…what Misty thought had been her pride, maybe it really was just her closing people out. Maybe it was because of the childhood she'd had, because of her personality, and because of her past. Maybe she was just bitter, even cold, and not very trusting. But there was one person in the world that she loved, who made her so happy, and who she could trust with absolutely anything in the world and not at all feel precarious.

And that was Ash.

So, for the third time in the last few hours, Misty began to cry. But this time, it wasn't out of pain, or sadness and shame. No, that was hardly it.

Instead, they were happy tears, rolling down her cheeks and into the dew kissed grass as Ash held her in his arms, stroking the back of her head and waiting patiently for her to finish.

Waiting to tell her he loved her once again.

* * *

**And finished! I actually kind of enjoyed writing some angstier shipping stuff. It's still a happy ending, but not filled with the same kind of rainbows and sunshine that I usually put in. You can tell there's still a lot of stuff that they need to work on.**

**So, that's all for this story! Thanks for all of the great reviews! I want to keep trying my hand at non future fics, so let's see where it goes from here ;)**


End file.
